Vehicle body



July 11, 1939.

E. J. w. RAGsDALE VEHICLE BODY Filed May 6, 1937l I INVENTOR EARLIWTRAGSDALE.

Patented Jly 11, 1939 UNITED* s'ra'rlss PATENT OFFICE 2,165,516 vEmcLE'BoDY Earl J. W. Ragsdale, Norristown, Pa., assignor to Edward G.

Budd Manufacturing Company,

Philadelphia, Pa., a. corporation of Pennsylvania Application May s, 1937, serial No. 141,009

s claims. (c1. 1055-391) the normal tension loads or the abnormal compression loads of the car body.

Another object of the invention is to provide l5 an improved beam type side frame structure, more particularly for side bui cars having great longitudinal strength and being readily formed from rolled metal sections fabricated by welding. Further objects and advantages of the present N invention will appear from the following description of a preferred form of embodiment thereof taken ln connection with the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a part of a vehicle of the rail car type;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse cross section taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig'. 1 and showing the details of the side sill or lower chord of the frame;`

80 Fig. -3 is a horizontal cross section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an inside perspective view generally showing the assembly of the joint between the posts, floor beams and side frame.

35 In a preferred form of embodiment of my invention, the vehicle body IIl is mounted on supporting trucks II of a known type. The body I is normally subjected to substantial loads, primarily of a longitudinal nature due to draft and 4o buiing, and the longitudinal reaction of thevertical forces. In light weight construction, I flrd that a beam .type side frame to be most efficient, especially as certain supporting strength is necessarily inherent for the sheathing. A truss type 45 beam is most satisfactory for this side frame,

inasmuch as it allows great flexibility for arrangement of the windows I2.

With the truss type side frames as one form, or in a modified plate girder structure,the side 50 frame consists primarily of posts I4 intermediate the windows, such posts being the principal supports for the floor beams I5 which may be joined thereto through the overlapping web portions as by welding. y

55 The side frames also have a lower chord structure, and in the improved construction, this is of simplified form but of great longitudinal strength both in tension and compression. Under normal circumstances, the lower chord member is in tension and due to the high tension values possil ble, the. members need not be excessively heavy. Under collision loads, however, the lower chord is changed to compression resistance and especially on side buff cars, the direct loading may be very great. 210' My preferred construction is of built up angular cross section, being formed of separate plates, one of which issubstantially vertical and serves asthe outer rail and is attached to the posts Il, preferably by welding. If desired, it may 15 have a central bead 2I for decorative appearance and to reduce the flat pitch ratio.

This outer rail 20 is of relatively heavy material and is used principally at the bottom of the side frames and is not intended to extend up the posts 20 very much. Savings in weight can be obtained by this arrangement and the side frame sheathing 23, which may be of corrugated or other form,' can be of lighter gauge.- If desired, the sheathing 23 can be directly welded to theposts form- 254 ing a type of plate girder, or otherwise suitable Vdlagonals can be used between the respective posts,

The lower chord also includes a substantially horizontal plate I'I, which may have a central or 30 other bead I8, also to reduce the flat pitch ratio. This plate I'I is attached, as by welding, to each of the floor beams I5. It has an angular marginal portion I9, through which it is attached to a. marginal portion of the lower rail 20, by Welding as shown at 24. 'I'his plate is substantially as heavy as the lower rail 20.

In addition to the plates Il and 20, I also prefer to use a stabilizing web 26 forming a triangular cross section with the plates Il and 2li, such 40 web having flanges 26a and 2Gb which are attached to the extremities of plates I1 and 20. As shown in Fig. 4, the reinforcing web 26 extends between floor beams I5 and stabilizes the plates I'I and 20 substantially throughout their length. 45`

The triangular cross section resulting from the substantially vertical plate 20 and the substantially horizontal plate i1 and the stabilizing web 26 is of very substantial longitudinal strength and is adapted to act, not only as the principal tension member of the side frame for all normal stresses that may be placed upon it, but it is especially adapted to resist compression loads due to longitudinal shocks. Where the bufflng members are attached to the ends of the side frames, the Il stabilized triangular cross section has the necessary column strength and yet has a 4relatively light weight and other longitudinal members are normally unnecessary. `It is to be understood, however, that for extremely high loads, stringers, one of which is indicated at 28'and which is attached to the iloor beams-for support of a flooring (not shown), may be4 availed of in'distributing end shocks. V

While I have shown a preferred form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that modications may be made thereto and I, therefore, desire a. broad interpretation of my invention within the scope and spirit of the disclosure herein and of the claimsappended hereinafter.

What I claim is:

l. A truss type side frame for a vehicle'body having a lower chord of hollow right triangular cross section, the legs of the cross section forming the outer face of the body and providing wide faces extending, respectively, vertically and horizontally for overlapping securement respectively to posts and oor beams, the hypothenuse of the triangular cross section being interrupted for the passage of floor beams and posts.

2. A truss type side frame for a vehicle body havinga lower chord of hollow right triangular cross section, said chordincluding a relatively heavy substantially vertical plate forming the outer face of the body, a relatively heavy substantially horizontal plate and a stabilizing web, the width of said vertical and horizontal plates 'being -such as to provide a wide overlapping secureneient, respectively to posts and floor beams, the hypothenuse of the triangular section being interrupted for the passage of door beams and posts.

3. In a vehicle body, side trames of truss form including spaced posts, a longitudinally extending substantially vertical plate attached to said posts and forming the outer face of the body and means to form aI right triangular cross section chord withsail! plate including a throughrunning substantially horizontal plate, and

stabilizing webs interconnecting the remote maralccvo l 4tween the posts, the stabilizing webs being interrupted for the passage of the posts.

4. In a vehicle body, side frame posts and floor beams overlapping and secured together in -their overlap, a substantially horizontal plate Joined through a wide overlap to said iloor beams and other longitudinally extending means including a the remote margins oi.' the vertical and horizontal plates between oor beams.

5. In a vehicle body, side frame posts and door beams overlapping and secured together in their overlap, a substantially horizontal plate extending below said oor beams and having a wide overlapping engagement therewith through which it is secured thereto, and other longitudinally extending members secured to said plate and forming a substantially right triangular hollow cross section chord member therewith, one of said members being a substantially vertical plate having a wide overlap with and attached to the posts and forming the outer face of the body, and anothermember being secured to the remotemargins of said substantially horizontal and ver-l tical plates and extending between iloor beams and posts. y f

6. A side sill for a vehicle body side frame comprising a wide plate-like lower rail forming the n rail, and means to stabilize said angle including posts and floor beams connected together in their overlapping ends and overlapping, respectively said wide lower rail and said arm and secured.

thereto, and plate webs interconnecting the remote margins of said rail and plate, whereby said side sill is adapted to resist high compression' loads.

EARL J. w. RAGSDALE. .a 

